The Spark
by kammad42
Summary: All it took was one shot to shatter her. One shot to break him. Just one gunshot to change everything and everyone. Spoilers for Season 5 Episode 8.


"_You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon." He shook his head. "Don't be sayin' stuff like that." The fragile girl tilted her head back against the post outside the cabin. He would live through this. He would be the last man standing. She knew it. And she would be looking down at him from Heaven and thinking, "I told you so." _

"I get it now." One last time. She just needed one last thing to do. She knew the consequences would be bad, but she couldn't give in. She was stronger now. And she needed to show it.

Beth felt the warm metal slide from under her cast and into the palm of her hand as Dawn slightly moved her head to the side in confusion and nervousness. Daryl moved a second too late, and Beth was shoving the scissor into the cop's collarbone. _BANG!_

Everything went really quiet. Dawn's eyes went wide. Rick rubbed at his eye where the girl's blood had splashed. The lifeless body fell to the ground at the cop's feet, who was stammering and completely speechless herself. _I didn't mean to._

Without even thinking, with tears in his eyes, Daryl rushed forward and pulled the gun out from the waistband of his jeans and pulled the trigger. Now Dawn fell to the ground, a bullet sized hole through her forehead.

Everyone raised their weapon and the opponent but Daryl. He found his hold slipping on the pistol in his hand as he stared down at the beautiful girl now lying face down on the ground. A pool of blood had formed underneath her that gathered around her head. It was sure. She was dead.

A ball formed in Daryl's throat as he realized that his light at the end of the tunnel had disappeared with no coming back.

He gripped the gun tight in his hand and raised it, choking back a sob. One of the officers was holding both of her arms back to get the other officers to lay off. "It was only about her," Officer Shepard spoke, referring to the dead woman on the kept their guns raised. "Stand down!" Both teams slowly lowered their guns.

Daryl kept his up, feeling sobs rise in his throat. He'd never cried this much or at all since the last time he was with Beth, back at the moonshine shack. At this point, he would do anything just to see that little spark in her flare up again.

He lowered his gun in defeat and lifted a hand to his face, the tears now falling. He kneeled down next to the blonde as Rick spoke. "Anybody that wants to come with us, just step forward." Even his resolve was slowly cracking. Beth was a huge piece of hope in the group that just got destructed right in front of them.

Noah didn't glance back once at the police officers and nurses before walking over and joining Rick's side. His eyes were glued to Beth.

Daryl found small whimpers and gasps coming from him as he reached his arms out to carefully lift the girl. He roughly moved Dawn's body off of her and gently turned Beth over to where she was looking up at the ceiling. Her eyes were closed. She looked beautiful and peaceful as if she were sleeping. The big hole in her head was the only giveaway.

Daryl handled her as if she were a china doll that would break at a slight movement. He maneuvered one arm under her knees and one under her shoulder blades as he slowly lifted her into his caring arms. One tear rolled down off of his chin and onto her pale cheek.

He lifted her fully off of the ground as the group started to file out of the building. Rick went first in exiting the place. He would have blood stains on his T-shirt of the girl that he had been friends with for almost two years. It was so sudden… He ran a hand down his face, his eyes misting over again.

Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, and the rest of the group all stood in front of them, scattered in the abandoned parking lot. Maggie had a look of excitement on her face as she stood next to Glenn, but that quickly faded into a much more somber expression.

Tyreese and Carol walked out next, Tyreese supporting Carol from her injuries.

Maggie found herself going numb as her hold on the assault rifle loosened. It clattered on the concrete as she was faced with the next two figures walking out.

Daryl cradled Beth in his arms. His former friend. He didn't even bother to push back the tears as Beth's limp limbs dangled off of him. Her head was almost nuzzled up against his chest as he walked towards her older sister.

Maggie let a scream of pain and sorrow escape her lips as she saw the hole in the back of her sister's head. "No!" She screamed. Glenn was horrified at the sight in front of him. He'd grown to love Beth and think of her as a baby sister after a while. he was heartbroken.

As Daryl got closer to Maggie, his heart broke more and more with each step. What he would do to see the flame back in Beth's eyes once again. To see the joy on her face, to hear her angelic voice sing one more tune. But it was too late.

_"I wish I could just change." Beth shrugged, the moonshine making her dizzy. She sat up against a post on the wooden porch to keep herself upright. "You did," Daryl protested. "Not enough. Not like you," she answered._

"_I'm gonna be gone," she started. "Stop," he interrupted. "I am. I'm gonna be gone. And you're gonna be the last man standing." The words hit him hard. He would always remember that conversation with Beth Greene and when they burned down that cabin. She was right. _


End file.
